Toad Patrol: Path to Jewel Haven: Episode 1: Jewel Haven
by Simon-Steelflex
Summary: Where does happiness lie? Is it in the heart of the forest, or in the heart of a toad/ Where does doom lie? Panther Cap, a young toadlet, will find out what the future holds when he is the one chosen to point his seven siblings in the direction of safety, and a new home, and avoid the darkest sides of nature.
1. Chapter 1

Panther Cap was the youngest of a small group of toadlets. He was the shortest, wore an adorable leaf hat with a bark visor on the back, and had lavender pants that matched it. His siblings were the only other people he knew. Any others he could possibly remember were with him back when he was a tadpole in a pond known as the "Deep Wet."

Panther Cap had very few memories of his mother. He only knew that she had pretty, yellow skin. He couldn't remember anything about his father, except that his oldest sibling looked up to that brave man.

He didn't know where any other toadlets in the forest were, and neither did his siblings (7 in count). All he knew was that he knew where his own siblings were and he looked up to the 7 older siblings as if they were heroes. He loved them all very dearly. But at the same time, he never wanted to be the victim of anything. As the youngest, weakest, and shortest, he was in the most danger all of the time for just being in the forest, even when he was at the small little haven (a temporary or permanent home for toads) known as Goop Haven.

The haven was in a cave with a crevasse in the ground, reaching many feet below the surface. Upon entering the cave, the crevasse would be to the right side where red rocks made up the floor. Everyone stayed away from that crevasse. Everyone wanted to find rocks to cover the crevasse with, but the kids were simply not strong enough to find any rocks big enough. The toadlets barely reached an inch high, and the crevasse spanned at least two and a half. And the ground there was a bit unstable, so there was no guarantee the large rocks would hold.

The toadlets did not waver, however. They were safe there, and it was a good place for defense against predators. The roof of the cave had a hole in it that was covered by a thorny bush, or "prickle-bush" in toad speech. As toads were still quite primitive, they had to use two words to describe one thing constantly.

The bush had a defense made of many, many thorns. The beasts of the whole forest would have a hard time getting in there. However, the toads still took shelter during an attack, because anyone who wiggled the bush would send little broken pieces of the thorn bush falling into the room. It was also a little open. If it rained, the toads would have to take shelter in holes in the cave, covering their holes with leaves.

Forest life was a rough life, but they managed. All eight of the toads lived happy days and nights. However, things were different one morning when an unexpected change turned their lives around: Panther Cap spoke of strange things that seemed unsettling, yet reassuring, to the toads.

He noticed what was going on with the rest of the toadlets once he got back to the haven. Before that, he was helping his siblings by giving them a detailed map of the only forest are he could walk in without supervision. He was mapping out a spot on the forest that was safe for him. He went from one place to another for the toadlets to remember where they were. As soon as he got back, he noticed something on the bark he drew on.

"Aw, man!: said Panther Cap. "I missed that spot again! Can I ever get a path-find right?" Panther Cap put the map he held on the ground, and pulled out a new, soft, piece of bark from the leaf hat he wore on his head. "Hmm, do you guys think I should try looking at both the last path-find and the ground and see what I did wrong? I think I keep missing the red-berry tree." Path-find means "map" in toad speech.

"OK, guys," said Fur Foot. He was the oldest one. He had a short, red mane on his head, and he wore fur pants that even covered his feet. His nose was a little short. He kept them up with a vine-strap across his shoulder so that the pants didn't fall due to stepping on them, since they had little boots. "How many did we get?"

"I got four." said Beauty Stem. Beauty Stem was the second oldest. She was a pretty one. She wore a long, green shirt and had a purple floral ribbon tied to the matching hair covering her head. All of the girls wore their hair like flowers.

"Here's twelve." said Puff Ball. Puff Ball was the fourth youngest. Despite that, he was the strongest. He was a bit heavy-set, but had a lot of endurance. Unfortunately, his heavy physique did not give him a lot of confidence. He also had a large nose.

"Here's six." said Elf Cup. She dropped the sticks into the center of a stump where the rest of the sticks were. Elf Cup had a lavender flower hairstyle with a large bald spot that looked like the yellow netcar center of a flower, and a magenta gown.

Fur Foot sighed. "OK, plus mine, that's around thirty sticks. That should be enough to cover the storage."

"How many leaves do we have again?" asked Elp Cup.

"Hey, guys!" shouted one toadlet. He carried a long vine slung across his shoulder and a large leaf-bag. "I'm back!" His name was Shaggy Mane. He was named that for his yellow messy hair. His nose pointed more upward than the rest. "I've brought a lot of flies! Hey, Panther Cap."

"Great! That looks like it could hold all of us for the next three days!" said Fur Foot. "Go ahead and put that in the shed."

"How many leaves do have have?" said Elf Cup a little more loudly. "We need to cover it up with more than sticks."

"Um, I think we have two." said Fur Foot.

"Why not cover up the sides?" said Beauty Stem.

"Uh, sure. Let's get some more leaves. Shaggy Mane, can we use that vine to tie it down?"

"But I need that vine!" shouted Shaggy Mane. "I can't reach things without it." It wasn't like Shaggy Mane to shout like that.

"OK..." said Fur Foot quietly. "Go ahead and look for another one."

"OK." said Shaggy Mane as he ran off.

"I'm gonna try and draw that area again." said Panther Cap. "By the way, how did the twins do?"

"Stop calling us twins!" shouted one toadlet in the back. His name was Slippery Jack. He wore a toy pair of glasses he found on the ground one day. It perfectly fit him. "Oyster didn't do so well, but I did great."

"Your's looks all sloppy." said Oyster. Oyster was the third youngest, and Slippery Jack was the second. The two often played with each other, and their size and appearance made them "twins." Oyster tied her red hair like flower. The two had a job of mapping out areas of their own.

"It's not!" said Slippery Jack. He stood up, crossed his arms and said with dignity in his voice, "I'm the best path-find maker here!"

"Guys, please don't fight." said Fur Foot, softly. "I'm not in the mood for that." Fur Foot then slowly started walking toward the entrance.

"Where are you going?" said Elf Cup.

"I'm gonna get some more flies."

As soon as he was out of sight, Puff Ball fell on his back onto his leaf-bed and said, "Well, today's gonna be a weird day."

Fur Foot was about seven feet from the haven before he noticed Beauty Stem behind him. "Hey Fur Foot!" shouted Beauty Stem before she caught up. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know." whispered Fur Foot.

"Come on," said Beauty Stem. "You can tell me anything. You're not acting like yourself lately."

"I'm fine. I just don't feel like talking about it. Are the twins safe?"

"Puff Ball's watching them."

"OK." Fur Foot grabbed a stick to hunt for more flies.

"Be sure to bring a leaf-bag!" Beauty Stem walked away to look for leaves. She didn't know what happened. He was the bravest. He was the smartest. He was the leader. Or at least, he had a good combination of all of them, if he wasn't the greatest of any one category. But he was unnaturally sad today. He felt as though he was under a pressure he wanted to avoid, and he had no idea what to do.

Panther Cap was walking down that same trail he walked down to make the map, or path-find. Just hoping for a shot of light, he kept looking up at the sky. It wasn't very dark out, but the trees were so numerous that they blocked out rays of light. He wasn't allowed to go too far out. But he did not know that the future would hold many surprises. Toads would have more mysteries for the world to discover, and this story tells of the little boy who would determine the future for them.

Panther Cap was comparing the path-find he was making to the last one. He was close to finding out what he did wrong. As he looked up, he saw the berry tree.

"That's it!" Panther Cap loudly whispered. "That's my problem! I forgot that little mud-hill!" As he was mapping out the mud-hill, he noticed something. It was something he never noticed before. Looking up, he tried to find where that problem was.

"I can't leave." said Panther Cap to the problem. "My brother would need to know." …...

"Well, I'm able to go out a little more out there, but I cant leave my home."

…...

"What do you mean we must go?"

And thus begins the story of the Toad Patrol.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

The two twins named Slippery Jack and Oyster were just playing with their rocks, waiting for Fur Foot to come back. Beauty Stem was out looking for leaves while Shaggy Mane was still outside looking for more coil. Puff Ball and Elf Cup were watching them. Puff Ball acted as the third in command. So he watched over the kids.

The kids found round rocks that could be knocked into each other. They had invented a game where everyone gets five rocks, and they must knock all of the other rocks out of a square.

"OK, here I go." said Slippery Jack, waiting to flick his favorite rock at a smaller one near the center. "Hah!" He flicked it... but it flew off the rock and started rolling near the crevasse.

"No!" shouted Slippery Jack. "Not my shiny rock!" He ran to the crevasse to grab his rock, but he began to tumble into it.

"Aaah!"

"Slippery!" Shouted Oyster. She ran to grab Slippery Jack, but ended falling in herself!

"No!" shouted Elf Cup!

"Twins!" shouted Puff Ball as he and Elf Cup ran to the crevasse. "Twins! Please! Say Something!"

"I said don't call us that! Please get us out!" shouted Slippery Jack. The two were housed on a branch, one of two, that stuck through both sides of the crevasse.

"OK, OK." said Puff Ball, quite relieved as he leaned on the crevasse. "Just let me- woa, whoa!" Puff Ball began losing balance as the earth started the crumble underneath him. Soon, he himself was falling into the crevasse. And he fell on a nearby branch next to the twins. He was scared out of his skin! One moment, he felt like he would fall to his... toad splat. Another moment, he was holding on for dear life on a branch inside the very crevasse that almost swallowed a poor yet strong boy. He held on to the branch as if the branch was his mother.

"Happy place, happy place, happy place..."

"You mean the bed?" said Oyster.

"That wasn't funny, Oyster!" shouted a shaken Puff Ball.

"We told Shaggy Mane to leave the coil!" shouted Elf Cup from above.

"What do we do now?" shouted Slippery Jack from above

"The most we can do now is wait for Shaggy Mane!" shouted Elf Cup.

"What about Shaggy Mane?!" Shouted Fur Foot. Fur Foot brought back a vine to use for the shed, but the shed would have to wait. "How many people are in there?" said Fur Foot. Judging by how Elf Cup shouted into the crevasse, toadlets were trapped in there. What a day this has been.

"Puff Ball and the-" Elf Cup nearly said "twins," knowing how much it angered Oyster and Slippery Jack. "Oyster and Slippery Jack."

Beauty Stem ran closer to the crevasse. "Hang on! I'll get Shaggy Mane!"

"No!" said Fur Foot. "Shaggy Mane will be back any minute. For now, we all need to support the coil. OK, twins up first!"

"Actually, I might need to go first..." The poor Puff Ball was looking at the branch he was hanging onto, a branch that was cracking, tearing. It could be heard.

"Fur Foot! Puff Ball's branch is breaking! Let him go first!" shouted Slippery Jack.

Fur Foot was uncomfortable with leaving the youngest in there. "But..."

Oyster heard a crack in Puff Ball's branch. It wouldn't hold. "Our branch is fine! Drop the coil and get Puff Ball!" Fur Foot dropped his coil's end into the crevasse

Puff Ball looked up. "I'd usually let them go first, but I need help!"

"OK, Puff Ball! Where are you?" shouted Fur Foot.

Slippery Jack guided Fur Foot, since Puff Ball was to scared to think. "Bring the coil to the left! No no my left! Your right!"

"I am?" said Fur Foot.

"No, I mean your OTHER LEFT!" said Slippery Jack. "Now Puff Ball, grab it!"

Puff Ball was on the far end of the branch, while the rope was on the other side. "I can't reach it!"

"It'll hold long enough for you to cross it." said Oyster. "Just stand up!"

"You want me to WALK ACROSS THIS!?"

Slippery Jack shouted louder than before, both out of worry and annoyance. "It's supporting you long enough! Just walk across it!"

Puff Ball slowly stood up, really slowly...

And he ran across the branch which cracked under him and quickly grabbed the vine. "PULL!"

"Beauty Stem! Elf Cup! Behind me!" shouted Fur Foot. All three of them slowly pulled the vine and started bringing Puff Ball out of the dark.

"What's going on!?" Shaggy Mane called out as he ran to the crevasse.

Beauty Stem turned to him. "Puff, Oyster and Jack are inside there!"

"What are they really doing in there?"

The twins said "Don't ask!"

After Shaggy Mane started pulling on the vine, Puff Ball was out safe and sound, but very worried at what he got himself into, and what the twins are into. He looked sadly in the crevasse, and shouted "Are you OK?"

"Our branch is really strong!" said Oyster.

"Don't expect to live there, 'cause I don't want to lower food to you." said Shaggy Mane. His vine was tied across his waist, and the other end was tied to the rope the others were pulling, and that was tied to a large branch root that came from a tree outside and made its way into the cave. He turned to the other four toads. "See ya' back up here!" And he jumped into the crevasse.

"Shaggy Mane!" The toads shouted. But no worry was necessary, because Shaggy Mane landed on his legs with no pain as he slid carefully, but quickly, down the vine while holding the vine.

"Who needs a wind-ride?" Wind-riding is a term for riding on birds.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Upon Panther Cap's return, he was told the whole story of how three of them fell into the crevasse and how Shaggy Mane jumped in to grab the twins. Shaggy Mane got a scolding for that from Elf Cup, but he didn't really care much.

However, Fur Foot and Puff Ball felt pretty bad about the whole scenario. They refused to say anything about it, but Fur Foot was the one acting more strangely. It was typical of Puff Ball to worry about things, but Fur Foot was usually the determined one, ready for action. That day he seemed gloomy, unsure of himself.

But what nearly set Fur Foot over the edge (not of the crevasse) was what Panther Cap said. "I need to go out into the woods."

"What? Why?" asked Beauty Stem.

Puff Ball looked annoyed. "What are you talking about, Panther Cap?"

"I was told I need to go see a tree. And I need to bring you guys."

"Panther Cap," said Fur Foot. "We just had to deal with three toadlets falling into the crevasse. We're fine right here."

"No, we're not." said Panther Cap.

"Who told you about the tree?" said Beauty Stem.

Panther Cap was silent for a minute. "I don't know."

"Great..." said Puff Ball.

"What did he look like?" said Beauty Stem.

"I didn't see him."

"Where is this tree?" said Fur Foot.

"Where ever the voice came from I guess. It's coming from over there!" Panther Cap pointed out into the woods.

"Panther Cap," said Fur Foot. "We can't just walk unto the blue! It's too dangerous for anyone of us. None of us have ever been there. Well, Except for that time Slippery Jack got lost, but that hardly qualifies."

"But..." whispered Panther Cap.

Beauty Stem walked in between then and said, "Everyone. I know we've been having a crazy day. Maybe we all need to just rest for a while."

That sounded like a good idea to everyone. Since Panther Cap couldn't convince them he had to go see the tree, he went somewhere he could be alone and play with a rock. But Slippery Jack followed him.

"Panther Cap!"

"Hi, Jack."

"Trust me, Panther Cap. Trust me when I say the forest is a horrible place to be." Slippery Jack grabbed a hold of his own head out of fear. "It's a really scary place."

Panther Cap slowly turned his head to Slippery Jack, who was overcome with fear. "You weren't even there long enough to see any monsters. None us us were. Some of us never entered there."

"Exactly! The forest itself is scary enough!" Slippery Jack was frantically waving his arms.

"Or maybe when we get past the scary parts, we'll be at a place safer than this."

"But, Panther Cap! We've never seen another toad! How do we know any other toads are still alive in this forest!?" While Slippery Jack was panicking, Fur Foot heard the conversation and started to eavesdrop, hoping to find some insight on Panther Cap's desire to go out into the woods. Panther Cap indeed had been... thinking more often that day.

"Don't say that." said Panther Cap. "I know Mom is still alive."

Slippery Jack froze for a moment. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that."

"Of course you didn't." said Panther Cap. "None of us have been ourselves today, and I know why. We've all been looking at ourselves the same way, staring at our own bodies."

Fur Foot realized he had been looking at himself a lot, just staring down at his torso, his legs, his arms.

"And that's because of that feeling we all have, right?" continued Panther Cap. "That strange feeling that's been going through our whole body, and we've been trying to ignore it. A feeling like our friends our tickling us but no one's laughing."

A tingling sensation. Slippery Jack had felt it that day, and Fur Foot knew he was feeling it all day.

"That feeling that we get? It's a nervous feeling, and a warning. I think that's because we aren't really sure of where anywhere else and any other time can bring us in the future, that we're not positive what the future has. The feeling isn't really fun or annoying, yet at the same time we've been ignoring it because we have to do that one thing we may have never done before, something that we have to do know because, since we can all sense it, it's natural for us toads to do it. It's nature, isn't it? And the tree may be our chance to do it, and the voice knew it. The voice was telling us about the toad nature we thought we could avoid without anything bad happening."

Fur Foot wasn't sure how Panther Cap could've been the one to determine this, since he never thought so much before in his life.

"But we can't avoid it. It's in our bodies. Not the feeling, but nature itself. It's everywhere. And we'll feel this way for the rest of our lives if we ignore it."

And Fur Foot just awaited the answer to determine their fears...

"We need to move away from Goop Haven."


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

"He's right." said Fur Foot to the rest of the toadlets. "When Panther Cap comes back from making the path-find, we need to go over what we need to pack." Fur Foot had already explained Panther Cap's words to the rest of the toadlets, and Panther Cap was trying to map out that area of his so that they could get a head start.

"I can't believe this is really happening." said Puff Ball, almost depressingly. "Has everyone gone bonkers?"

"Yeah, I've been scared of moving, too." said Beauty Stem.

Elf Cup just looked at Fur Foot with wide eyes. "But, Fur Foot. We have no idea what's out there! We're safe here."

"But can we really be as safe when there's still a risk of falling into a crevasse?" said Fur Foot. "And one of the branches that held Puff Ball is gone. You heard it cracking, and it couldn't support a blade of grass! It's too torn up. And Oyster and Slippery Jack only saw those two branches, and we can't risk it. We need to leave. We were always scared that we wouldn't find anywhere safer, but we can. If that's what we feel like, it's nature. I'll bet our mom and dad are waiting for us to find a place to stay."

"Why Mom and Dad?" asked Elf Cup.

"Think about it." Fur Foot took it slowly. "I know Dad better than any of us. He wouldn't abandon us unless there was a good reason. I think that reason was nature. When we got out of the pond, there was no one else. I don't like that we don't see our parents anymore, either. But what if they were supposed to? What if we're supposed to find another place to stay? We can't ignore it. If we don't act, this feeling may annoy us for the rest of our lives. I doubt the feeling is coincidence."

"It's not." Panther Cap walked up to the group. "The voice is getting louder. It told me that we have to moved to the Jewel Haven."

"What?"

"Jewel Haven. Those two words just keep ringing in my head."

"Well, where is it?' said Puff Ball.

"I don't know. But I think going to the tree might tell us something." Panther Cap looked at the group, and they all looked very nervous, sad even. All of them had no idea what the future held, and they were about to leave their own life.

"Hey," said Panther Cap with a smile. "Hey, I know things are taking a complete turn. But all of the hard work we put into Goop Haven told us one thing: we must be prepared for anything.

"We've been living in the haven for a couple weeks after we made it our home, and we spent a week preparing it some time after coming out of the deep wet. The best moments of our week making Goop Haven what it was, a nice comfy home, were learning how to do something new. But we've started doing the same thing over again because that's what worked. But this feeling we get is telling us to go to a new place, to have a new and happy life."

The children were amazed. Panther Cap had given a lot of thought into this from the moment he went into the forest and heard the voice. And that though process made a grand speech of the future and the power to overcome the risks so that a wonderful life for all of them could be made.

"You know," said Puff Ball. "Moving doesn't sound so bad when you put it that way."

"It's scary," said Shaggy Mane. "But I think if it's natural, then maybe we can survive."

"I'm still against it..." said Slippery. "But I think I'm outvoted."

Oyster glared at Slippery Jack cheerfully. "Oh, come on, Slippery Jack!" said Oyster. "It'll be a chance for real happiness! We can probably find the other toads! I don't know about you, but I'm tired of wondering where they all went after leaving the deep wet."

"You're really amazing!" Beauty Stem said to Panther Cap as she gave him a kiss.

"I guess it's settled." said Fur Foot. "We pack up some extra food for the road, and set out through the area Panther Cap drew. We'll find out where the voice is coming from."

Shaggy Mane looked confused. "So... do we all believe he heard something now?"

"I don't know." said Fur Foot. "But it's possible someone was warning him about this."

"But Panther Cap said he didn't know what he looked like." said Elf Cup. "He didn't even know what the guy looked like, so how do we know it wasn't a monster hiding trying to eat him."

"It can't be a monster." said Panther Cap. "The voice was coming from very far away, and it was like a whisper. It was in my head, but it felt like the voice was being pulled to the tree."

Every toadlet looked at Panther with one single thought playing back and forth in their heads: huh?

"What do you-"

"It's like a stranger in the sky. Not the wind."

"Panther Cap, it's gotta be the tickling feeling." said Puff Ball, referencing the tingling feeling Panther Cap mentioned. "Musta' worked its way into your head."

"Feeling or not," said Fur Foot. "That feeling's what's going to get us on our feet and to other toadlets. We have always wanted to find the others, but I think we've just been waiting for them to find us. But if we all feel we need to move, we should do that."

"I don't know." said Puff Ball. "I wouldn't go chasing something in my head. I'd just try to get it out."

"And how would you do that?" said Elf Cup.

"I don't know, uuuh... hit it hard enough?"

"Can we focus?" said Fur Foot. "Look, our main concern now is finding the other toads. And the tree's as good a place to start as any. Let's go to the tree. Is everyone gonna be ready by tonight? We'll get a start when it's bright outside."

"How bright?" asked Oyster.

"When the... uh..." Fur Foot couldn't form the words, because he did not know what the giant blue thing above them, and the shining yellow thing in it were.

"When the yellow ball shines on the big blue?" said Shaggy Mane.

"Yeah, that. Thanks Shaggy." said Fur Foot. "OK, like I said. We take some food, and Shaggy's coil. We only take with us Panther Cap's path-find since we won't be needing the rest. We've only drawn the area around us, and we're going into unexplored territory, which leads me to my next point.

"We must always pay attention to the world around. We trust each other, and we stay organized. When the, yellow ball comes up, we leave. When the big blue turns black, we stay in a haven, so we need to find one when the big blue is orange. That's all." So, the plan was simple. Spend the night packing food and provisions, set out in the morning, and find a place to stay at sunset. "Anyone who wants to say goodbye to the haven, we'll do that at the morning."

None of the toadlets were ready to leave the haven. Even though they only spent a couple of weeks in it, they were connected to it. It was a home they spent some time to make, and they had quickly grown fond of it. But they needed to leave Goop Haven.

"Well," continued Fur Foot. "That's that. We'll leave tomorrow."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

That night was a long one for everyone. Packing all that they needed and leaving other things summoned nostalgia (a feeling of joy caused by memories) to all of them. The rocks Oyster played with, the blades of grass Elf Cup used to make the beds, the sticks Puff Ball stacked to make the shed.

Panther Cap really did not have anything that he had to pack at all. He just had his hat. So he sat inside, looking above the thorny roof at the moon. He wanted to help, but a lot of the work was being done late at night. So he stayed inside with Oyster and Slippery Jack who were already fast asleep. It was night, and Panther Cap stared at the moon, thinking about how soft the voice was, and why it felt like a whisper.

Just then, he noticed Fur Foot coming to him. Fur Foot did not look very happy, not at all.

"Hey, Fur Foot. Are you guys done rationing the flies?" Panther Cap couldn't believed he just used the word "rationing." He felt like an important boss just by saying that... it was usually outside of his vocabulary.

"Not yet," said Fur Foot. "I, I just need to get something." Fur Foot was staring at the ground, obviously thinking many things to himself, unable to sort out the many thoughts in his head. He didn't really need to get anything. He needed to be alone.

"Are you alright?" said Panther Cap. He couldn't really tell that Fur Foot needed to be alone. All he could tell was that Fur Foot wasn't feeling very happy. "Is everyone still feeling weird? I was beginning to think a couple of us already got over that."

Fur Foot was silent. He did not want to bring Panther Cap into his problems. However, he still felt like he needed some talking to.

"Panther Cap," Fur Foot softly replied. "I don't know how things got this way."

"What do you mean?" said Panther Cap, staring at Fur Foot.

"Well, things are taking a complete turnaround." Fur Foot was pacing around the haven, clearly getting agitated. That made Panther Cap a little nervous. "We settle in here, and no we have to leave without a doubt. It's like all of this work to make the tree was for nothing. We made sheds, we named it Good Haven-"

"I thought you said it was nature."

"Yeah, but... now I have to be the one to make sure we can all get there, to the tree. Panther Cap, I know you're the only one who heard the voice. I don't know if-"

"You can't hear it right now?" said Panther Cap.

Fur Foot stopped pacing. "...What?"

"I can hear it right now. It's saying we need to get up as early as possible."

"Panther Cap, I don't hear a thing."

"You don't?"

"I can't hear it."

"Well... maybe I'm the only one who can hear it."

"That just doesn't make sense!" shouted Fur Foot. Panther Cap froze. Everyone outside heard him. Fur Foot realized he scared Panther. "I'm sorry. I'm really sorry. It's just..." Fur Foot paused for a moment, and sat down next to Panther Cap. "This turnaround means I have to be on top of it. Everyone's depending on me, and I'm not sure that I can handle that. Making a home is one thing, but a long adventure to find a new home and the toads is a lot of pressure. At least we knew how to find a safe spot here, since we're already close to the deep wet. But I can't handle-"

"Fur Foot, you're doing great!" said Beauty Stem who just entered the room. "We don't only depend on you, Fur Foot. You're a leader, and overseer. Everyone of us toads have a special quality which we all depend on, and the other toads depend on us! We follow you because we can trust you to lead, just like you'd trust me to keep you calm.

"But, Beauty Stem, I-"

"You also trust Shaggy Mane and Puff Ball to find food, and the others can find other things we need. We all depend on each other! Remember that little poem Shaggy Mane made up when we first got here?"

 _One small world, in a realm great and wide_

 _One cozy cave to crawl inside._

 _Olden thoughts, memories are made._

 _Inside a little toadlet cave._

 _A place that we'll call home._

 _That we can call our own._

 _Thick, strong walls, so much food to sprout._

 _And thorns to keep the monsters out._

 _In dark holes, we are safe in light._

 _In safety we will sleep tonight._

 _For us the thorns will sprout,_

 _To keep the monsters out._

 _The journey there, the work to make it._

 _We won't let any monster take it._

 _It's our home, a comfy cave and_

 _A perfect little toadlet haven._

 _A home for family._

 _We'll all live happily._

"We'll be alright. We can get through the forest well enough if we depend on each other. See? We always do things together! We've always gotten through troubling times because we help each other out. We're brothers and sisters. Mom and Dad might have been protective of us in the Deep Wet, but they know we can handle the future. If they didn't think so, they wouldn't have wanted us to leave that place. That's where all of the toadlets are born, where all the babies are nursed. We don't need nursing anymore.

"We're grown up now. That poem was about how we found and made a new home. We can do it again. That song wasn't for clinging to the past. It was about making time. It was about making a new future. We can make a new home again!"

Fur Foot stared at her with wide eyes. Beauty Stem always knew how to turn a sad situation into a great one, and soon, some of Fur Foot's stress and uncertainty turned into confidence. Soon, Fur Foot had a smile on his face. He was still unsure of the future, but he was a lot less nervous now. "Thanks, Beauty Stem."

"BEAUTY STEEEM!" A voice came from outside.

"Fur Foot, let's get back outside. Don't worry about it. We'll be fine." Beauty Stem rushed to help Shaggy. The two were supposed to tie some leaves with flies in them together. Obviously, they would carry the flies.

"Alright, Panther Cap. I'm going back outside now. Are you positively sure you have everything you need in a leaf?"

"I'm not bringing anything." said Panther Cap. He then happily pointed to his head. "I have my hat."

"You just watch Oyster and Slippery Jack. Can you watch them?"

Panther Cap looked over at the sleeping toadlets. "I thought they were supposed to watch me."

"They're already asleep. I'm going to help out. But what do you mean you're the only one who can hear the voice? What's it saying now."

Panther Cap eyed Fur Foot with an almost happy look on his face, because the voice told him something that he was sure would help them in their upcoming journey. "Good luck."


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Alright, toadlets! This is the last day we live in Goop Haven." said Fur Foot to the rest of the kids. "So, let's just look at it one more time before we leave."

The toadlets took one last look at their two week old home. It really was a nice home. Sure, there was the crevasse, but the overall aspects of the haven were that it was safe, cozy, and had an amazing view of the forest as it lie above a small cliff where no trees blocked its view.

And now, the toadlets had to leave their old home for a new future. It was obviously stressful, but they all knew in their hearts that happiness could be found elsewhere. And if nature is telling the toadlets to look for a happier future, they can find one.

"Well," Fur Foot said. "Let's hop to it."

"Why did we have to get up so early?" Puff Ball said. He was still very tired from the work from last night. He did all the heavy lifting. He was the biggest, and the strongest, so he was really tuckered. Obviously, he needed the most rest. But the most he could do was complain a little and let it go after he got a straight answer.

"Because the voice in Panther Cap's head told us to." said Fur Foot.

Straight.

"No." said Puff Ball, angrily.

"What?" said Fur Foot.

"No _way_ we're really doing that."

"Look, it's all we have to go by." said Fur Foot. "Twins, do you have Panther Cap's path-find?"

"Stop calling us twins." The twins said in unison.

"Is it just me," Puff Ball whispered to Beauty Stem. "Or do they rehearse their twinsmanship?" Puff Ball didn't let very many things get in the way of his sarcasm.

"Puff Ball, Elf Cup, do you have the food?" said Fur Foot, with a more authoritative presence.

"Yep." Puff Ball noticed the dominance in Fur Foot's voice. He wasn't gonna act like a servant, though. "Right here."

"Beauty Stem, do you have the walking and hunting sticks?"

"Yes!" said Beauty Stem.

"Alright, so that's everything. And we have plenty of coil to secure the leaves?"

"I made sure of that!" said Shaggy Mane, taking pride in his knotting abilities. He figured out how to tie a knot when he left the deep wet.

"Then let's go! Panther Cap, which way?"

Panther Cap faced the dark trees in the forest. The entrance was coated with green light created by the sun shining through the trees which nearly blanketed the sun from shining into it. However, it was perfectly visible, and peaceful as well.

"Which way do we go?" Panther Cap said. Everything was silent. All Panther Cap could here was... that soft yet dominant voice telling him where to go. He turned around and faced his family. "It said we should head straight forward, and once we reach the Glittering Rock, we should take a left. After that, I'll sense where to go."

Heading into the forest, the toadlets stayed in an organized form. Fur Foot stayed in front with Panther Cap so that Panther Cap could lead the way without anyone getting lost.

The twins stayed in the center of the whole group, while the oldest toads surrounded them. The forest was familiar at first, but that didn't stop fear from creeping in.

"It's dark." said Slippery Jack. "Too dark..." Slippery Jack started shaking.

"Oh, come on, Jack!" said Oyster. "I can see just fine!"

"It shouldn't be long until we reach the trees." said Fur Foot. "That's as far as we've been before. And we're finally going to see what's beyond."

"And I think we're all still a little unprepared for that." said Beauty Stem. "But let's not let that stop us."

"Or, we could find another way." said Slippery Jack. Puff Ball stayed behind him. "We could lose sight of each other at any point, since the forest might get darker and darker until everything is pitch black!" Slippery Jack covered his eyes. Puff Ball crouched a little towards him. Slippery Jack started talking very quickly.

"I could lose this eye-hat on my head, and I won't see anyone. And then I hear screams. The screams of those that will never be heard from again, because their faces have been covered, and their fate has met with teeth that sleep in the darkness, awaiting a piece of meat whether to feed their hunger or pleasure or both... and then when I'm the last one, the voice starts breathing onto my back, it basks in it's own joy as it laughs inside watching me freeze, and shiver, and...

Puff Ball says "Feed me your eye-haaaat..."

"AAAAAAAAH!" Slippery Jack jumped onto a branch.

Puff ball and Oyster were laughing hysterically. "That's the funniest thing I've seen all week!" said Puff Ball.

"That was not funny!" said Jack. "I could've jumped out of my pants!"

"That would've been funnier!" shouted Oyster. And then a hand covered her face.

"MMMPH!" shouted Oyster.

"Mmph!" shouted Puff Ball. A hand covered his face as well.

"Do you guys seriously want to call a monster here?" whispered Fur Foot.

"I thought you were the monster!" whispered Oyster.

"Then don't blame me, blame Slippery Jack." said Fur Foot.

"Weeeee're almost to the trees. Maybe we'll see something nice there." said Panther Cap.

"Hopefully." said Fur Foot, taking his hand off of Oyster. "Slippery Jack, come down!"

After a little while of traveling through the trees, off the dirt path they were following, some of the toads were beginning to regret their decision. Even though they all woke up early, the forest did not brighten. As the day grew brighter, it seemed that the forest stayed the same... which means the forest would get darker as they went through if the daylight did not continue to get brighter.

What awaited beyond these tall trees? What could they find once they made their way through all of the trees? Well, once the exited the last few trees, they found...


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Sunlight. Greenery. A small pond with a shimmer like the night sky, painted with light blue, reflecting the appearance of the tall pine trees that lay near a smaller forest of flowers and clovers. As the toadlets stood upon a hill, they had a grand view of the forest, as grand as the view above the cliff of their old home. The rocks were painted many colors, there was a blue river going across the grass, and the sun had nothing to block its view of the tall and brown trees and the white daisy fields.

"Oh, wow! It's so beautiful!"

"This view is like, almost as amazing as the view from our home!"

"Do you think the toads are somewhere around here?" asked Panther Cap.

"I have a feeling we'll see plenty of things that are more amazing!" said Fur Foot. "Let's get down there."

"Wait! We can't stay!" said Panther Cap. "I just realized that the voice told us to take a left on the Glittering Rock! Besides, I don't see any toads."

"You were the only one who said anything about staying." said Oyster.

"I don't think I was the only one thinking it."

"Panther Cap's right." said Fur Foot. "We should see if any other toads are here, and then we'll check on Panther Cap's rock."

"Um, OK." said Panther Cap. He was worried because that was not what he said, but he wasn't going to give orders. All Panther Cap wanted was for everyone to be safe.

"Alright, toadlets." said Fur Foot. "Let's get down there. I don't see anyone here, so it looks safe. Let's get going! I want to see the big and long wet!" Fur Foot ran and jumped off the small cliff and landed on a mossy rock.

"Hey, wait for us, Fur Foot!" shouted Elf Cup. Fur Foot ran towards the river to get a better view. The others quickly followed after him. And Elf Cup was getting annoyed that he just rushed to it.

"Wait, Fur Foot! We need to stick together!" shouted Beauty Stem.

"Oh, right!" said Fur Foot as he stopped in his tracks. "I'm really sorry, guys. I just got excited..." Fur Foot started to slowly walk back, when he saw a small cave. "Huh?" It was a little hole in the hill. "Hey, guys! Check this out!"

"What is it, Fur Foot?" shouted Beauty Stem.

"It's a little toad cave!" said Fur Foot. "There's probably someone in there!"

Beauty Stem already jumped off the cliff and came close to Fur Foot. "Wait, Fur Foot. It could have something we don't know about."

"You're right. Still, we need to be sure other toads are near, so this could simply be a home. A haven for someone else. We need to ask a toad if they know where any others are, anyway. So, I'll go in first. Elf Cup! Puff Ball! You're with me. Shaggy Mane and Beauty Stem will stay with the kids away from the hole. I'll signal you if everything's alright."

"And if everything's wrong?" said Beauty Stem, worried.

"Well, I'll scream."

Puff Ball followed Fur Foot into the cave. Elf Cup didn't.

"Why do I have to go into a creepy cave?" said Elf Cup.

Beauty Stem walked up towards her. "Shaggy Mane's the only one with a weapon, and Puff Ball and Fur Foot are the strongest of us. We need to balance out the best defenses. And in case a monster is in there, we need at least three in there in case they can't speak so one can warn us."

"OK." said Elf Cup, still a little annoyed. She wasn't hoping to go in a cave this early in their adventure. She was hoping to swim in the river. So she went into the cave with Fur Foot.

Beauty Stem was worried about the three toadlets. However, she knew they were capable. All she could do was hope that when that was over, the young ones would be safe. Then she could frolic through that patch of daisies that she found while the wind brushes through her lavender hair.

Fur Foot didn't like the looks of this. It was dark, filled with stones, and a lot of pointy twigs. There was still some light for them to see. They were scared, but they were unaware that a strange, mysterious guardian was watching them from far away, hiding in the tall pine trees many yards away from the hill and the cave.

"What kind of rocks are these?" said Puff Ball, picking one up. :I've never seen rocks get so long before."

"Hey, look!" whispered Fur Foot. He saw a light in the path they were taking. "Something is in here!"

"I hope it's not a mean something." said Puff Ball while examining the rock.

The toadlets slowly continued into the path. The light grew stronger, and the light behind them (the entrance) grew dimmer. Before they reached the source, Fur Foot noticed something very disturbing. "Hey, look." he whispered, shaking. He saw many of those white rocks in strange shapes. A lot of the longer ones were touching one on the other one. "What are those?"

The piles of rocks were aligned one next to another. But next to another one... was a strange thing. It was like a giant white flower, but its stem was very thick, and it's top had no nectar. It was bouncy. It looked rubbery.

"What is that?" said Fur Foot.

"Why do I get a weird feeling the owner's really, really messy?' said Puff Ball.

"I didn't know rocks this small could have so many holes." said Elf Cup, looking at a strangely shaped on with many holes.

"Th-that's not a r-rock..." Puff Ball said, pointing to something next to the rubbery, bouncy thing. "Hey, th-that guy's a, a toad. And he's..." limp. Immobile. Frozen. Still. "Toad splaaat." Dead.

"What?" whispered Fur Foot as he jumped from the rocks.

"And that rock... that's a mouth on it." said Puff Ball. Elf Cup stared at the rock. She dropped it. Puff Ball looked at the conjoining rocks, the long ones. Two one each one, and many small rocks touching that. "Have you guys ever noticed we can bend our arms one way?" He showed what he meant by bending his arm. Looking at the rocks... they were an arm and a hand. "What if.. that's because those white things are inside of people?"

Fur Foot stared at the rocks, horrified at them.

"Th-" said Puff Ball. "That-th-that-th-that-that's a... person." Puff Ball sank to the ground. "They're all people." He then whispered to himself. "The meat was eaten from them."

Elf Cup was about to vomit. All around the three toadlets were the bones of the dead. Something was eating them.

"Alright," Fur Foot started. "We sneak away from the light to avoid being heard, and we run once we're far enough. When we're out, we get the others and leave."

"Yeah." said Puff Ball and Elf Cup. They began to sneak away.

"That won't work..." said a strange voice behind the toadlets. The three toadlets turned around to see something running towards them, a tall, ugly, hairy creature with giant ears. It carried a long, sharp stick. "Aaaaargh!" it wailed.

It pounced on Puff Ball. Puff Ball's eyes widened as the creature was about to stick it with it's stick.

"Get off of him!" shouted Puff Ball as she tackled the creature.

"Leave Puff Ball alone!" yelled Fur Foot as he grabbed the creature's arm.

The creature grabbed Fur Foot and threw him to the bones. It then slammed Elf Cup into a wall.

"I wanted to take down the biggest, first." said the creature with a sinister grin. "but it seems you like to..." it raised its staff as its yellow eyes stared deeply into the helpless toad. "Stick around..."

WHAAACK!

"Argh!" A giant nail hit the creature. It was flung at him. Whack! Whack! A bejeweled staff hit it multiple times! The rat was facing a larger foe, covered by a hooded robe. Whack! The mysterious figure knocked the creature against the wall.

"You..." said the creature. "You little wretch!" The creature tried to level itself with the wall as momentum. Then, the mysterious man grabbed the large nail that was flung at the creature, and he threw it again. This time, the nail, curved and sharp, was thrown at his hand which was on the wall. His hand was trapped.

"I wouldn't struggle if I were you..." said the man. He had a thick accent of some kind.

Fur Foot stared at this man, bewildered by the bravery and skill he had shown during battle. "Who... are you?" asked Fur Foot, quietly.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

"That nail has a blade on the end." said the mysterious man. "If you struggle, that hand will get cut. And in case you're trying to pull it off, I'll beat you with this staff again." The mysterious man pulled off his hood, and revealed himself as an adult toad.

"A toad!" said Fur Foot. "I knew there was one around!"

"Fur Foot!" Beauty Stem ran inside. "We saw that man run in after you!"

"Guys, we have to leave this cave!" said Fur Foot. "But first, who are you?"

The adult toad turned around to Fur Foot, with a glimmer in his ardent, kind eyes and a smile. "My name is Mistle Toad." said the adult male. "I am an explorer."

"Why are you here?" said Fur Foot. "Was this your home? Did the monster take it from you?"

"No. This creature, this rat, was endangering a toad with a strange sense I felt, one that you probably cannot sense yet. It is somewhere around this area. Anyway, what are you toadlets doing here? I assume you're late."

"Late?" said Fur Foot. "Late for what?"

"The Great Migration." said the man. "You're late-born, yes?"

"What's a migration?" said Fur Foot.

"Ah, yes." Mistlew Toad smiled at the young lad. "A migration is a time when a large amount of a species moves to another location to live. The toads migrated to Toad Hollow."

"Toad Hollow?" asked Elf Cup. "Is that where the others are?"

"Yes."

"Not all of them..." said the rat with a menacing smile. "I must've found at least ten."

"Bite your own tongue, rodent. I can sense it has something in it besides toads." Mistle Toad warned the rat. The rat's face immediately turned into a hateful frown.

Mistle Toad turned to the toadlets. "So, I assume you do not know how to get to Toad Hollow."

"I don't even know what's going on anymore..." said Puff Ball.

"We'd better get back outside." said Beauty Stem. "Shaggy Mane and the little ones are waiting."

"Yeah, we should wait until we're all together before we get all the answers." said Fur Foot.

"Assuming he's completely trustworthy." said Puff Ball.

"Don't mind him." said Elf Cup to Mistle Toad. "He's a bit paranoid."

Fur Foot helped Puff Ball up from the ground, who was still recovering from the shock of all that occurred. "He just saved us." said Fur Foot. "And he's a toad like us. Take it from me: I would know an adult toad when I see one." Fur Foot was referencing his memories of his father and mother.

"Let's go." said Mistle Toad as he walked towards the rat, who was quickly putting his arm away from the boomerang he was trying to get off.

The rat stared at Mistle Toad. "You want your nail back? Come closer and get it if you want." The rat had a plan. As soon as Mistle Toad came close, the rat would-

WHACK! WHACK!

With two beats of his staff, Mistle Toad knocked the rat out. He then wriggled the nail out of the rock. "This rat will be fine. A simple headache is all he has. Let's depart from this cave." said Mistle Toad. "It's far too dreary for the standards of living."

"Where are the others, Beauty Stem?" said Fur Foot.

"Outside, and Shaggy Mane's watching the little ones."

"Wait!" said Puff Ball. "Are there any toads that are alive here? We should help them! There's a light on the other side of the cave."

"I suppose so." said Mistle Toad. But I'll stay in front. I'm the only one with a weapon."

"I'll be in front with you." said Fur Foot.

"It may be too dangerous!" said Mistle Toad. "You're too small t-"

"I'm responsible for us." said Fur Foot. "And I'm going to help. It's better if two are out there."

Mistle Toad looked at Fur Foot's eyes. He was standing upright, bravely, and most of all, unwavering. His eyes showed true responsibility, enough courage to defend the younger ones with his life. He had true strength inside him, and Mistle Toad could not deny that. "All right." said Mistle Toad, with a grin. "You seem brave enough."

Mistle Toad leaned down to Fur Foot and gave him his nail. It was curved, ivory white, and had a blade on the end. The handle was wood, and there was a long, brown curve as a design.

"Ridged Tooth," said Mistle Toad. "Has seen much war. It's a weapon of ancient times that goes back generations. It's history will be explained as we exit this room. But for now, we must focus on our defenses. To use it, throw it at whatever you wish. Depending on how it is thrown, it may slice anything and return to you if you catch the handle, or you may render a foe unconscious."

"It just comes back to me!?" shouted Fur Foot?

"Don't shout!" whispered Puff. "Some rat could hear us."

"I doubt any other rat wouldn't have come due to the commotion." said Mistle Toad. "Now, the red haired one and I shall remain in front, and the others in the back. Be on your guard." Mistle Toad held his staff high. Fur Foot raised the nail, known as Ridged Tooth, above his head. Puff Ball readied his fists. All of the five toads slowly walked towards the light on the other side of the cave.

"Now," said Mistle Toad. "Ridged Tooth is one of many animal nails to be changed into weapons for toads against the dangers of the world. It was built in a way that it can turn around back to the owner after it is thrown. Its shape manipulates the wind in such a way. Being carved by toads of old, it is stronger than the normal animal claw."

"I can't believe that rat ate all of them..." said Elf Cup, looking at the skeletons.

"Hunger drives the weak-minded to evil." said Mistle Toad. "He went mad. However, I do not think he wanted to eat us."

"What would give you that idea?" said Puff Ball. "Did you see the look in his eye!? He was-"

"Yes, I did." said Mistle Toad. "It was the look of deceit. He was a liar. He was merely trying to scare you for some reason. I do not understand why, but I am surprised at how many of these former toad bodies he has in here."

"So, they are toads..." said Fur Foot.

"Scare us!?" shouted Puff Ball. "I'm sorry, but I don't think putting a stick through a little girl counts as a little scare tactic."

Beauty looked around to see he many bones, and realized they were shaped like people. "W-Why?" Beauty Stem was in shock, and now in tears. "Wait, these are toads? How are these toads?"

"I'll explain later." said Mistle Toad. "However, I happen to know that the rats' primary diet is purely vegetarian."

"What does that mean?" said an annoyed Puff Ball.

"Rats mostly eat fruits, nuts, berries, any actual food they find. He's a rat, and rats are not meat-eaters. It's likely he wanted to scare you. We are almost to the end of the cave. Stay on guard." As soon as they went through the cave, they found...

Dust. A giant pile of glowing dust surrounded the room, along with many other strange oddities: gems, bones, piles of bark, and nuts.

"Nuts!" shouted Mistle Toad. "Whole Piles of nuts! He was no meat eater!"

"But why does he still have all of the bones?" said Fur Foot.

"I suppose he wants to freeze people with fear, and then robs them. I expect he thought the little girl would faint. It's possible that he never ate anything, and that the bodies just rotted away. But there are too many bodies for that to take place in such a short time. This rat was young, so I am not sure what he needed of this. I suppose he struck a bargain with a predator that he'd provide meat for him or her and be spared, but why would he keep the bones?"

Elf Cup wasn't listening. She was too busy staring at the beauty of the yellow and glowing dust in one large pile. "So beautiful." she whispered. She reached her hand out to touch it.

"Young one! No!" shouted Mistle Toad as he whacked her hand with his staff. Elf Cup quickly pulled her hand away, staring at Mistle Toad angrily.

"Do not be angry." said Mistle Toad. "This is dangerous. Touching it could burn the hand. It's best if handled by a glove, but it hurts skin. That's yellow dust." And that's when it hit Mistle Toad. He knew what the bones were about. "So that's it." said Mistle Toad quietly. "No one ate them. They are still alive!"

"What?" said Puff Ball.

"You see, it's a long story. But basically, it is not the rat's fault. These toads were simply messing where they shouldn't have."

"What do you mean?" said Fur Foot.

"What I mean is, look at these gems." Mistle Toad held up some of the blue, glowing gems that were in the cave. "These gems have a power about them, and some of us toads are able to use it. Some are not. My guess is that their trapped inside these gems with no way out."

"What?" said Elf Cup. "How does that happen!? That doesn't make any sense!"

"Some toads are not wise enough to handle what they misunderstand." said Mistle Toad. "These toads likely had their very souls entrapped inside the crystals. There are many blue gems, but there are also many bones. My guess is that all of these toads tried to leave the cave with them. Gems of this color come from fairy magic. As an explorer, I'm aware of various kinds of magic stones. These are Soul Stones. The gems took their consciousness, and I know they can, and entrapped them inside the gems. They MUST be touched with a glove. Now, they are somewhere else, unable to escape. However, I suppose only their consciousness, not their bodies, did. The bodies did not get proper care, so the bodies rotted away."

Beauty Stem, upon hearing that, was broken in heart. "Oh, that's horrible."

"OK, I'm too confused." said Puff Ball. "Can't you just free them by breaking them or something?"

"You could," whispered the old toad. "But they have no body to return to now."

Puff Ball stared at the gems. All of this was too much.

"Be glad you do not have that kind of greed. It was greed that destroyed them." Mistle Toad proceeded to examine the room. "They wanted power, and they payed. The gems know a man's soul. They likely attempted to find the easy way to safety, and felt the gems would help. Either way, that is caused by impatience, greed, and lust. Those who live in darkness of the mind spread it. Those who live in light spread the light of good."

These words were immediately imprinted into Beauty Stem's heart. "Then I'll bring light." said Beauty. She picked up a twig, looked at it for a moment, grabbed a blade of grass growing inside the cave (it gained light from the dust), and wrapped it around the twig, leaving a cup of grass on top to put something in. She scooped up the dust with the twig, and made a torch.

"What's that?" said Fur Foot.

"It's a reminder that we are not lost in darkness!" said Beauty Stem as she held her new torch in the sky. "It will be a symbol of the good in all of us toadlets!"

"What an excellent symbol!" said Mistle Toad. "And what a fine, clever craft you have made! May that light shine on all of you for seasons to come, toadlets!"

"Thank you." said Beauty Stem.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

"Let us depart from the cave." said Mistle Toad. "I believe we've had enough of a history lesson."

"So, where are we supposed to go?" asked Fur Foot.

"I said you must go to Toad Hollow." replied Mistle Toad with a grin. "It's an amazing world where life and love have no physical and mental boundaries. A realm where the life inside us toads is accepted into a paradise, a toad's introduction to the joys of Heaven. Toads who find their way to Toad Hollow thrive on the impossibilities of this world: the world where life itself is born."

These words captivated Beauty Stem. Immediately, her imagination swayed into a never-before-seen realm of color and botany. "How poetic."

"Toad Hollow is the definition of poetic." said Mistle Toad.

"Sounds like a load of hooey." said Puff Ball. "Am I supposed to believe there's a place in the forest where only toads can go? And everything's all happy-cheery and-"

"Everything sounds like hooey to you, Puffy." said Elf Cup, pointing at Puff Ball like he was a little kid. Even though he was younger, he was larger and much more responsible.

"And this only sounds nice to you because you want it so bad." said Puff Ball. "And don't call me 'Puffy.'"

Mistle Toad was getting tired of this. He raised his staff... and an amazing glow of pink light surrounded him! Pink dust spun slowly around him. It was the most beautiful thing any of the toadlets have seen.

The dust started to take forms. First, they turned into little toadlets, all scrambling to a magical portal on the ground. But then, the portal closed. And the toads turned into toadstools.

Mistle Toad lowered his staff, and the pink light went away, and the dust slowly floated to the ground before disappearing in the darkness.

"No that you've seen the power of Toad Hollow," began Mistle Toad. "Do you understand the severity of your situation?"

"How do we get there?" said Fur Foot, immediately realizing his siblings wouldn't get hurt.

"Not through normal means." said Mistle Toad. "Toad Hollow can be accessed through a magical portal known as the Fairy Ring."

"Portal?" asked Fur Foot.

"You've seen it in the fairy light that I have shown you with my Fairy Sparkler." said Mistle Toad, holding up his staff. Mistle Toad drew a toad and a giant circle on the ground, and then proceeded to draw another frog far away from the two. "A portal is a door that leads from one place," he pointed to the first frog near the circle (the portal), and then went to the second frog. "To a completely different and far away place in an instant."

"So where's this fabulous portal?" said Puff Ball.

"I never know. Only the thunder trees know, since the portal always appears in a new location every season. When the season ends, the portal closes."

"So, if we don't find it in one season, we have to start over?" said Elf Cup.

"You do not understand. You would know death for life. You must go through the portal. Or else..." The old toad paused and turned to the rubbery stem. "You will become like that. A toadstool, a former toad. It is a plant that does not think. A fungus. It was once a toad."

The children just stared at the toadstool, realizing the unfortunate fate that met the toad.

"And the same will happen to you if the fairy ring closes this season." said Mistle Toad.

"But you'll help us get there, right?" said Fur Foot, nervously.

"There are others I must help. I have a whole forest to watch over. I left Toad Hollow long ago, and I am not affected by the magics of the Fairy Ring anymore. But you are. And others are that I must help."

"But how do we find it!?" said Fur Foot.

"The thunder trees are the wisest creatures in the forest. Find a leaf-less tree with thick branches like lightning, and you will see it."

"Lightning..." said a confused Elf Cup.

"Crackles in the sky. That is the primitive word for lightning."

"So, it looks like the light in a storm!" said Fur Foot.

Puff Ball rolled his eyes. "Great, along with a total riddle, we have new words! I have no idea what's going on! I have a headache."

"Quit whining, Puff Ball!" said Elf Cup. "We need to listen to this guy or we'll die!"

"No." said the toad. "You will not. You will live in a dreamless, never ending sleep; always black."

The toads froze in place. The words sank in their hearts. A never ending blackness is a terrible fate. "Some say it's worse than death." said the toad. With that, he waved his bejeweled staff at the kids. "If you can talk to the thunder trees, you will know where to look. Not all can talk to them."

"What do they sound like?" said Fur Foot.

"Ah! Panther Cap!" shouted the young Beauty Stem. "Panther Cap can hear the thunder trees!"

"What?" said Puff Ball.

"Panther Cap's heard strange things tell us of a home. Those must be the thunder trees. Yes!"

"Then let us depart for the thunder tree!" exclaimed Mistle Toad. "If your friend can hear them, you may all be safe!"

It wasn't long before they all ran out of the cave. When they did, they saw Shaggy Mane chasing Panther Cap from far away.

"Where are the going?" shouted Fur Foot.

"What are they doing?" said Puff Ball.

Mistle Toad looked up in the sky. A small storm was blooming above the forest of trees in the distance.

"The Listener is born." said Mistle Toad.

"Panther Cap!" shouted Shaggy Mane as he chased him through the forest. "Stop running! Get back here!"

Panther Cap wouldn't listen. The whispers were getting abundant, louder, more serious. He was close to the source of these whispers. And he believed they would end once he found who, or what, was whispering in his mind.

"There's a storm coming!" shouted Shaggy Mane.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Toads, hurry!" shouted Fur Foot. "Who knows what could happen to them!?"

Everyone of the toads hurried as fast as they could, except for Slippery Jack and Oyster who were being carried by Mistle Toad. Mistle Toad hopped through the forest with great speed, leaping from branch to branch, rock to rock. Oyster loved it. Slippery Jack was scared of the ride.

Mistle Toad knew exactly where they were going. If a young boy hears mysterious whispers, he'll be drawn to the source. The thunder tree. A thunder tree would tell the toadlets where Toad Hollow is, and only Panther Cap could hear them. In other words, that little boy was the toadlets' only hope of survival.

Mistle Toad lead the way for the toadlets to follow. As the toadlets followed, Mistle Toad kept an extra watch on Fur Foot without his knowing. Fur Foot was clearly acting as the leader, but Mistle Toad was positive the rising of many confusing situations and new mysteries only lead to uncertainty and doubt.

Mistle Toad would be right, for Fur Foot lacked focus, and kept asking himself whether he was a worthy fit for his family's leader or not. Up until now, they were mostly focused on making a home, organizing the home, and avoiding the dangers of the forest by living on the outskirts. They had never prepared for a long-lasting adventure through the forest in search of a new home, facing the many dangers they had been trying to avoid.

Fur Foot nearly got his friends in danger of a rat, left the young ones outside in the open, and lost Panther Cap because he was following what the youngest and weakest member said about the whispers in his head. What next? What would Fur Foot do next? What mistakes awaited in the future?

He stumbled. He had tripped on nothing, and he fell over onto his hands. The nail known as Ridged Tooth in his hands fell to the ground, nearly cutting him. He had given up hope of being a leader.

"Fur Foot!" shouted Beauty Stem. "What's wrong?" She ran to his side. But he didn't pay attention.

"Young one!" Mistle Toad hopped to the side of the fallen toad. "You must hurry for your brothers!"

Fur Foot wouldn't listen. He couldn't listen. He was stuck. Lost in thought. As if something within his mind was the focus of his whole mind. Although his face had no emotion, sadness and confusion emitted from him. Lost, alone, trapped inside of himself like a caterpillar that could not leave its cocoon.

The other surrounding him tried to wake him from this horrific state. They shook him, shouted, nothing.

Then without warning, Fur Foot clenched his fists, shook his head, and raised his head.

"Let's go!" he shouted.

As he ran to his brothers, everyone stood and stared. What had gone on in his mind to bring him from utter depression to sheer confidence in a matter of seconds?

"Well? Let's go!"

Panther Cap stopped running. He was right in front of the tall, dead tree, and the source. Thunder tree. The whispers had paused. Panther Cap stared at the top. It lived up to its name. It was like lightning, dead and leafless, but somehow it was full of life, as if it was the tree equivalent to a wise elder.

Panther Cap stepped slowly towards it. The tree had side to him... "Come here."

As the storm grew closer, stronger, louder, Panther Cap walked to the tree in a mesmerized state. He knew. He knew the tree had something for him.

"Panther Caaap!" shouted Shaggy Mane from behind.

Panther Cap slowly climbed up the tree, unaware that his pupils turned from black to a dark blue. As he looked at the tree, he became more entranced in the magic the tree held, awaiting the gift it carried specifically for Panther Cap.

The storm grew stronger, and thunder screamed and lightning flashed upon the top, directly above the tree. Panther Cap stared as the tree shined in the lightning. For Panther Cap, it was a beauty. For Shaggy Mane, it was horrific, like something from a ghost story.

The lightning grew more powerful, and more abundant!

"Get out of there, Panther Cap!" screamed Shaggy Mane as he ran to get his little bro.

The others finally came.

"He's over there!" Slippery Jack shouted as he pointed to Panther Cap.

Mistle Toad looked at the sky. He knew what was going to happen, and Shaggy Mane couldn't be near if he wanted to ever move again. Mistle Toad ran to the tree with great speed, and grabbed Shaggy Mane.

"Get down!" shouted Mistle Toad. As he grabbed Shaggy Mane by the arm, he kicked himself off of the tree before...

The lightning struck the tree. Mistle Toad and Shaggy Mane watched as the lightning surrounded itself around the tree, quickly making its way down to the bottom... and to Panther Cap!"

"No! Panther Cap!" screamed Shaggy Mane.

"Wait!" said Mistle Toad, holding the boy back.

As Shaggy Mane watched, he noticed the tree was not hurt by the lightning. Neither was Panther Cap. The lightning went down to the tree, and was absorbed into the ground. And something else was absorbed into Panther Cap. His eyes glowed blue now. His pupils most of all. He was talking with the three through his mind.

He heard something. A beautiful whisper that gave him a gift.

The lightning had been completely absorbed into the ground. The lightning ended. The storm went away. Sunlight had filled the air once again through a cloudless sky. And from that lightning, an acorn grew on that dead tree.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Panther Cap's eyes had stopped glowing. He looked around, and crawled down from the tree, complete fine.

Fur Foot and the others ran to Panther Cap.

"Are you alright?" said Beauty Stem. "What happened?"

"I'm... fine." said Panther Cap.

Mistle Toad walked up slowly to Panther Cap and asked, "What did it say?"

"It said..." Panther Cap thought for a moment. "It will always point to the next thunder tree."

"Huh?" said Fur Foot.

"Look!" said Mistle Toad as he pointed to the tree. An acorn had fallen off of the tree, and onto the floor.

Puff Ball stared for a moment. "Great. An acorn. Amazing. Next thing you know, the sky is falling."

"To be fair," said Elf Cup. "I think it kinda did. All that lightning and all..."

As they were talking, Panther Cap slowly walked toward the acorn. He stood right in front of it, wondering if this lone acorn was the gift the thunder tree had spawned.

Mistle Toad ended the toadlets' bickering. "Everyone, look!"

Panther Cap slowly reached toward the acorn. As he touched it, a small white light surrounded it. The brown acorn had turned a pale brown, with a slightly purple top, swirled, a brownish-purple swirl patter across the acorn, and a little round amethyst (a purple gem) on top of the acorn.

"Wow." whispered the little boy.

"OK, I'm more lost now than I was in the forest." said Shaggy Mane. "WHAT is going on?"

Mistle Toad walked up to the little boy. "You have the pointer now, called 'Jewel Cap.' Use it well. When you spin it, it will point to the next thunder tree."

Panther Cap slowly looked up at the wise man.

"Use it well, and use the thunder trees' wisdom well. They will guide you to the doorway called the Fairy Ring, where you will find the realm known as Toad Hollow."

Panther Cap understood. He stared at the acorn, or "pointer" known as Jewel Cap. With that little acorn, he would find his way to a safe haven for his brothers and sisters.

"And with that," said Mistle Toad to the other kids. "I must be off!"

"Wait," said Fur Foot sadly. "You can't leave us!"

"Yeah!" said Oyster. "We can't make it on our own!"

Mistle Toad put his hand on the little Oyster's shoulder. "I have many others in the forest I must help. But I am sure you will see me again, as my adventures are partially made up of guiding other people to their destinations."

"Fur Foot." said Mistle Toad.

"I know," whispered Fur Foot. "You want your Ridged Tooth back, right?"

"No." said Mistle Toad. "I gave that to you because you have the qualities of being a leader. I saw that in you the moment I looked into your eyes when we were in the rat's cave. You are a leader. You must keep Ridged Tooth. You're in for a world you've never imagined possible, and the toadlets need a leader."

"But-!" Fur Foot stuttered. "I don't know how!"

"Then practice." said Mistle Toad. "Give yourself a second in command. Find other toads to lead to the Hollow. Use your skills well. For you do have them, even if you have not unlocked them."

Fur Foot looked at the other toadlets. They all looked at him in agreement with Mistle Toad. They looked up to him as a leader, and they knew he had the right heart.

"Uh..." whispered Fur Foot. "OK..."

Mistle Toad put his hand on Fur Foot's shoulder. "Young lad, there are no 'uh's' about it. You are a leader. And your brothers and sisters have faith in you." He paused for a moment to let Fur Foot regain confidence. "Listen to Panther Cap, Fur Foot. He is your greatest hope. He will guide you to Toad Hollow, and you will be safe there."

Fur Foot turned around to look at Panther Cap, who then nodded at him and smiled. It was clear. Fur Foot would lead the group, and Panther Cap would lead them to Toad Hollow.

Fur Foot turned around to Mistle Toad... who had disappeared.

…...

Fur Foot and the others watched Panther Cap, who stood in front of them.

Panther Cap stared at his acorn. "He called it a 'pointer.' Jewel Cap's supposed to tell me where to go."

"Which way, Panther Cap?" asked Fur Foot.

Panther Cap looked at the acorn with a purple jewel. He dropped it on the floor. Nothing really happened. But it seemed to be pointing towards a specific direction, as if it was adjusting itself. Panther Cap then took it, and spun it on the ground like a top. Soon, it stopped a little to the left.

To confirm that was the way to go, Panther Cap spun it again. The same result.

"That way!" exclaimed the boy.

"Alright. Let's go!" said Fur Foot as he walked away. Beauty Stem didn't walk, though.

"Uh," said Oyster. "Beauty Stem?"

"Huh?" Beauty Stem jumped. "Oh. Yeah, let's go."

Fur Foot turned to his sister. "You OK, Beauty Stem?"

"I don't know." said the girl. "I just keep thinking of those poor toads who turned into toadstool, and the ones who had their souls taken away. I wish I could've helped them."

"Me, too." said Elf Cup.

"I think we all wish that." said Puff Ball.

"Then why don't we?" said Panther Cap, happily. Everyone stared at him. Again. "Why don't we help other toadlets get to Toad Hollow? And teach them how to fend for themselves and share our knowledge?"

"Panther Cap," said Fur Foot. "That's very nice, but we should worry about each other. Huh?"

Panther Cap stared angrily at Fur Foot. He was serious.

"We do." said the little boy.

Fur Foot understood. He'd rather help others reach toad hollow than get there himself. And he expected his own siblings to do the same.

"Alright." said Fur Foot, smiling. He then faced the rest of the group. "If we can't get to Toad Hollow, we'll see others do so. We'll protect toadlets everywhere. Who's with me?"

"I am!" shouted Beauty Stem, cheerfully.

"Alright!" said Elf Cup.

"Sounds exciting!" shouted Shaggy Mane, gripping his vine.

"I'm in." said Puff Ball.

"I'm even more in!" said Oyster.

"It sounds dangerous, but it's not like we can completely avoid it." said Slippery Jack.

"Oh boy!" shouted Panther Cap. "Let's go!"

Oyster thought for a moment. "I guess this makes us a... toad patrol?"

"I guess so!" Fur Foot chuckled. "Alright, Toad Patrol! uh-" he stopped himself from "uh-ing." There was no "uh" about it. "Hop to it!"

As they walked, Panther Cap thought for a moment. "You know?"

"Yeah?" said Fur Foot.

"I never asked the thunder tree what the Jewel Haven was." Panther said, sadly.

"Maybe we'll find out from Mistle Toad." said Fur Foot.

"Maybe." whispered Panther Cap. "I hope we find out. Because the name 'Jewel Haven' makes me happy."


End file.
